Senior officials being investigated over the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) gorilla trekking permit scandal are alleged to have pilfered at least Shs9 billion in just two years.
Investigations, which began in 2023, exposed widespread forgery of permits and recycling of payment receipts, prompting a forensic audit by the Auditor General.
This afternoon, more than 10 senior UWA officials - whose identities this website is not revealing yet because some of them might be released without charge - were detained by the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID).
They are currently being held in Wandegeya, Kira Division, and Nateete and are expected to be produced in court to face charges of corruption and causing financial loss.
Detectives said the officials were initially summoned for questioning but were later detained after giving what investigators described as “unsatisfactory explanations” for the missing revenues.
As part of the probe, detectives retrieved computer servers and documents from UWA’s headquarters in Kamwokya.
The scandal involves alleged manipulation of primate-tracking permit records, reportedly in collusion with private tour operators.
Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises had ordered a forensic audit after the Auditor General flagged major discrepancies in UWA accounts.
Sources inside CID indicate that more arrests are likely as investigators expand the inquiry to include senior finance, IT, and tourism officers.